7 K-Pop MVs That Are Inspired By Famous Movies

The beauty of K-pop music videos lies in the aesthetic production that never ceases to amaze its audience every single time. Often when a new clip is released, it feels like it’s straight out of a movie. And what’s even cooler is that sometimes these visual setups take reference from popular movies that have marked the film industry.

Without further ado, here are seven K-pop music videos that are inspired by famous movies.

Disclaimer: only K-pop music videos inspired by specific original pictures are featured.

1. Taeyeon – “What Do I Call You”

In “What Do I Call You,” Taeyeon recreates a few main scenes from the well-known film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and the similarities are uncanny. The movie tells the story of a couple who erase memories of one another in order to move on from a bad breakup. The song that goes with the music video makes for a perfect original soundtrack if there was ever a Korean remake of this movie!

2. Brown Eyed Girls – “Kill Bill”

What do Brown Eyed Girls and “Kill Bill” have in common aside from the title? Fierceness, suspense, and ruthlessness. The members each take on a role from the movie, representing the Deadly Viper Assassination squad. The clip starts with a quote from the movie’s main character, then proceeds by the quartet retelling the storyline with a small twist in the succession of events.

3. SHINee – “Married To The Music”

SHINee’s concepts are always out of this world, and this one is no different. For “Married To The Music,” the quintet got inspired by the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” musical, where they used its original font for their track title and borrowed the eerie costume party vibe as well. The members were also creative with the rest of the music video as eyes, a nose, and lips go missing, a head is decapitated, and a body turns radioactive. Thanks to this original horror picture show, the outcome is simply marvelous!

4. T-ara – “Roly Poly”

These fine ladies dedicated an entire EP to John Travolta, namely after being inspired by his role in “Saturday Night Fever.” Naturally, the music video for “Roly Poly” looks like a deleted scene, or rather a spin off, that links back to the famous 1977 film. The choreography also reminds us of Travolta’s slick moves on the dance floor, which is another nod to the actor.

5. WINNER – “Hold”

In this cute and homey music video, the members act as the brothers of AKMU’s Lee Suhyun and keep an eye on her while she’s venturing out into the dating world. The most noticeable detail is that they give a brief and special nod to the Oscar-winning picture “Parasite” in the music video, where Song Mino is dressed like the housekeeper Moon Gwang and shows up on the siblings’ monitor, frightening them on the spot.

6. EXO – “LIGHTSABER”

This groovy track has “Star Wars” written all over it. From the title to the Jedi neon sign, and all the lightsabers featuring in various scenes of the music video, the EXO members have embodied this legendary saga. And since this is literally a “Star Wars” collaboration project, we know that this music video has been officially approved by its source of inspiration!

7. BTS – “Black Swan”

As you watch the MV, you can’t help but get the same vibes as the psychological horror of the same name, especially when you pay close attention to the enchanting mise en scène. The clip is full of symbols that remind us of the movie, such as the black and white wardrobe duality as well as the wings in reference to the swans, and the flawless choreography that incorporates the element of perfection – which was the main character’s obsessive dilemma throughout the movie.

Honorable mentions:

GOT7 – “Lullaby” (“Interstellar,” “Toy Story”)
TWICE – “What Is Love?” (“Ghost,” “La Boum,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Love Letter,” “La La Land,” “Leon The Professional”)
AOA – “Get Out” (“Kill Bill,” “Leon The Professional,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “The Fifth Element”)
JYP, Sunmi – “When We Disco” (“Saturday Night Fever,” “Pulp Fiction”)

Which movie-inspired K-pop MV is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

Esmee L. is a Moroccan lively dreamer, writer, and Hallyu enthusiast.